The Wild Idea

Latest Episodes:

Michelle Fullner: Setting Resolutions with the Host of the Golden State Naturalist Podcast Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

As the year comes to a close, Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds are joined by Michelle Fullner, host of the Golden State Naturalist podcast, for a reflective and wide-ranging conversation about growth, attention, storytelling, and intention. Listen in for a thoughtful meditation on why the stories we tell matter, how we show up for them, and what it means to move forward with intention in an uncertain time.

Learn more about today's conversation and find links and resources from this conversation at our website, thewildidea.com.

Sarah Francisco: From Working Lands to Wild Lands in the Southern Appalachians Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Francisco, Virginia State Director of the Southern Environmental Law Center, joins Anders and Bill for a wide-ranging conversation about place, promise, and the long arc of public lands conservation in the southern Appalachians. Growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley gave Sarah an early understanding of how deeply people’s lives are tied to land — both the challenges of working landscapes and the deep affection they inspire.

Learn more about Sarah and the topics discussed today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: House Passes SPEED Act, New Threats Emerge to Endangered Species, and States Move on Water Quality and Roadless Protections Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Wild Line covers House passage of the SPEED Act and its implications for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a slate of wildfire and public lands bills advancing in the Senate, a serious new threat to the National Park System, sweeping rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act, mounting impacts from Forest Service staffing cuts, changes to water quality protections in Montana, and growing concern over efforts to rescind the Roadless Rule.

Learn more about the topics discussed today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Anne Robinson: "Good News" Returns With Good Tidings Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Anne Robinson returns to The Wild Idea after completing her seven-month through hike of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to the summit of Katahdin. Picking up where we left off at the halfway point in Harpers Ferry, Anne reflects on what the second half of the trail revealed — about endurance, fear, community, and the layered human stories embedded in places many of us think of as “wild.”

If you missed our first conversation with Anne, you'll find that right here. And for more from today's conversation, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

Martha Williams: The Long Term View on Species Recovery Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

Martha Williams, former Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, joins us for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to care for wildlife over time. Drawing on decades of experience at both the state and federal level, Martha talks about stewardship, coexistence, and the responsibility that comes with living alongside wild species.

We dig into how the Endangered Species Act fits into that bigger picture, and why so much energy gets pulled into debates over listing and delisting instead of focusing on recovery. Martha shares why habitat, science, and long-term thinking matter more than short-term wins, and how political swings can complicate the real work happening on the ground.

Find out more about Martha and the other resources and links mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Tribal Recognition in NC, Park Service Policy Shifts, Forest Service HQ to Utah? Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Wild Line covers Congress’ work on the National Defense Authorization Act, new House actions to weaken the Clean Water Act, a broad Senate hearing on National Park Service and Wild and Scenic River bills, major shifts at the National Park Service and Forest Service, housing proposals in Wyoming, and a federal ruling restoring the nation’s renewable wind program.

For more information on the topics covered today, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

Chris Eyer: Muledragger Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Wilderness packer and saddle maker Chris Eyer joins us for the first time, and it feels like talking with a friend who lives right up against the wild edge of Montana. Chris walks us through the places that shaped him and how he found his way from Southern California trail work to a life built around horses, mules, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

We also get into what it’s like to bring people into the backcountry for the first time. Chris opens up about the pressures facing public lands and why these places feel so important to protect. And he talks about the reset that happens when you step away from the noise and spend real time in the woods.

It’s an easy, grounded conversation with someone who carries a deep connection to the places he loves.

Find out more about Chris and the other resources and links mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Forest Service Reverses Recommendations, NPS Increases Fees, Montana Stands Against Mining Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Wild Line covers a sweeping Senate hearing on 26 public lands and wildfire bills, a significant vote affecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, new moves by the Forest Service on roadless protections and off-highway vehicle rules, fee increases in national parks, and a major milestone for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Learn more and access the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

Ben Goldfarb: Paving Paradise - How Roads Reshape the Wild Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb joins us for a wide-open conversation about how roads shape wildlife, ecosystems, and the public lands we depend on. Ben breaks down the stuff most of us never think about, like how tire dust kills salmon or how road noise stresses out songbirds. He also shares what pulled him into road ecology in the first place and how he tells big, complicated stories in a way that still leaves you feeling hopeful.

We get into his two books, Eager and Crossings, and why beavers, of all creatures, might be some of the most important engineers on the landscape. From amphibian migrations to the Forest Service’s long road-building history, Ben gives us a smarter, more curious way to look at the places we love.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Grounded In Traditions Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

This week ushers in “The Holidays”, the time of year that chaos and connection reign supreme. Thanksgiving is complicated, especially for Native communities, and the usual “we’re grateful for…” story never feels like the whole picture. So we decided to do something that felt more honest. We reached out to friends and asked them to tell us about the moments they return to every year, the ones that ground them in place and bring them closer to the people they love.

We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we did. They made us think about the things that hold us steady during a loud season, and what we actually want to carry forward. What places pull you back, the small rituals help you feel connected. That’s what this episode is about.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.